Wings of Gold
by Phoenix-sol
Summary: A heart touching drama about a father who after leading an unsuccessful life, tries to make his end a sacrifice for the remaining members of his family.


I'm a new author and this is the first fic I posted…I'd really appreciate it if you gave me your opinions…

Disclaimer: I don't own the Animorphs, only the characters I created.

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# WINGS of GOLD 

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_************************* _

_In a world of harsh reality, _

_It's hard to keep one's sanity. _

_************************* _

**The** minutes dragged on. I closed my eyes, breathed deeply. In. Out. In. Out- 

BANG! 

I slammed my hands against the metal desk. The ringing of the metal echoed and bounced off the walls. I stood abruptly and screamed. My hands flew to my head and I yanked at my hair. 

Think. 

I paced the distance of my absurdly small cell and tried to slow my thoughts, stop my brain from ranting on and on. 

Better. Much better, I could almost think clearly, or as clearly as I could. Which way out? I grabbed the bars of my prison. Shot a look to the left, then to the right. The guard looked at me from the corner of his eyes. Snorted. 

I bared my teeth and pressed my face against the bars. "Out." I grunted, "I want out." 

He didn't bother answering me. I closed my eyes, opened them and pushed myself away from the bars. I stared at my cell, with a scream of despair I threw myself on the bed, a sprawling mess of tangled limbs. 

I pressed my arms against my head, against my ears. Trying not to let the silence get to me. The silence that hung around my cell was deafening, and strangely, brought a sever headache. 

I jumped off the bed and leaped to the small metal desk. I shoved the chair away and squatted on my knees. 

I smoothed out the crumpled piece of stationary, I slowly ran my fingers over the creases and wrinkles, flattening the paper on the desk. 

My eyes traced the handwriting, mimicking the flowing script. I read the words not understanding their meaning, just staring at the letters sometimes skipping lines, other times whole paragraphs. I did not read the beginning of the letter. Half way down the paper the words grabbed my eyes, and I read. Hearing her sweet voice in my head, soft, sweet and sad. 

_I wished it would end differently, I always thought that it would. I had faith in you. But it turned out that I had expected too much of you that's right huh? Too much from Dad… _

_I don't even know why I'm writing this, maybe so that you know a little bit about me, you never did, never tried to know, never cared. Maybe that's changing now…I really don't care. At least, I used to. I thought you changed… _

I skipped more, blinking at the writing, what it represented … 

_I hate you for what you did, why couldn't you continue what we started? A normal life… After my mother's disappearance…her running away from us, took my little brother and fled…now you. Why does this happen to me? Why? _

_It is what I always wanted…A piece of normality…bad enough you not remembering my mother's family, not knowing her very well, you had no idea where she'd run to. And because of that, I can't find my brother, I've looked everywhere I could think of…Mark tried to help. We got nowhere._

I stopped reading; I couldn't go on, the pain of losing two of the people that I have valued most was almost unbearable. I looked down at the paper, the words found their way to my mind. 

I didn't have to read the letter to know what was written I could see Ruth's eyes, somber brown. I could see her pale face, twisted in an expression of tender hurt and optimist happiness…I could see her golden hair, ruffled by the wind, her arms crossed over her chest…I could see her delicate almost frail figure standing in front of me, long silky hair worn loose. I could see so much until I reached a point were I could see no more… 

_ _

_"Why are you doing this to me? Why are you leaving me all alone?" She cried out, "You promised! You gave me your word! And I trusted, I trusted you, believed in you…" _

I wanted to talk to her, tell her it was okay, but she wasn't there was she? Just in my mind…don't be angry Ruth. Please don't be angry. 

_"I'm afraid and all alone…no one there to help me, no one there to stand beside me, who'll be there for me? Who'll join my happiness? Who'll bare my sadness and sorrow? No one…you're gone, mom's gone, my brother is gone. All of you, gone." _

_ _

Don't be afraid, I'll be there for you. Even though…even though- 

CLINK 

-Even though I…My eyes blinked, I was jarred back to reality. Harsh reality, the ugly truth of my life, at least, what was left of it, which is around ten minutes. 

"Come on, out you go." The guard motioned for me to come forward. I stood up, faced him and trudged to the opening of my cell. My eyes blank and empty, my mind not intact with my body. 

CLICK! CLICK! 

The sharp sound reached my ears and I flinched, the cuffs metal cold surface ate away at the warmth of my hand. Sending a shiver up my spine. 

You know the expression, what was it? Ah, yes, walking on your grave. Or was it past your grave…? Or something entirely different? 

Walking past your grave…gives me the shivers, especially since I as walking with one foot dangling in it. I'm a few minutes away from sleeping in a coffin forever. 

I started to inhale and exhale quickly, barely being able to catch hold of my breath; no air was actually reaching my lungs. Soon I was gasping silently. 

Where to run? No way away from the electric chair, no were to run, and even if I did run, how on earth am I going to leave this nightmare. 

_Nightmare?_ Wake up! Wake up! Please wake up! Wake up to see another day, to see another sunrise. To hear Ruth's voice! To see her face! To feel life! 

Of course, my nightmare did not end, I didn't think it would, after all, those were a pair of convincingly real handcuffs and the chair I was sitting on felt unbelievable existent, stiff, and cold… 

Someone took the cuffs off my hand and almost immediately, I felt cuffs snapping at my legs and my wrists, binding me to the chair. 

I heard one of the guards mutter something, I looked down suddenly, seeing that one of the cuffs on my wrist were not closed, the metal was jammed, the guards didn't notice. I held my breath. 

I heard static from the guard's radio, and a voice seething with anger, terror and furry called out. 

"ANDALITES! Andalites in the premises! Area four, room five. Requesting help immediately!" 

And the impossible happened. 

The guards took off. 

Leaving me staring stupidly at the swinging door. 

**"Argghhhhhhhh!"** I yammered, "Get away! Shoo! Shoooooooo!" The black and white furry creature kept on waddling towards me. It did not understand what I was trying to say. 

"No, no." I said as it raised itself ready to strike me, "No, this is _my_ room, find another one, go away! Shoo! I'm a former resident to this depressing place and I really am not looking forward to spending any more time in here." 

I slowly worked at the window, sawing away the bars with a saw I found lying around, it wasn't easy, I had to keep an eye on little Mr. Skunk on the floor. 

"AHHHH!" I screamed, the skunk sprayed, missing me, but releasing a very…hostile…odor. 

My eyes were stinging but I still didn't run away. 

TINGGG! 

My second bar was down. If I could saw through two more I would be out of here. I grabbed a gun that was left in a drawer of a guard's desk and kept it with me, it would come in handy. 

The skunk was panicking, at least that was what it looked like, It started to run in circles, stopping every second or so to look out of the door and twitch it's nose. The skunk flinched then started to run away from the door of the room I was in. 

BOOOOOM! 

Hoooooarrrrrrr! 

I froze as a group of very wild looking animals forced there way into the room I was in. I saw a tiger, a bear, a bird, and one huge monkey. 

I also saw something I had never seen before. 

It had a body of a horse or a deer, a torso of a human, a pair of arms, two pairs of eyes, one in on its face the other on stalks that rotated three-hundred and sixty degrees. Its mouth-less face was a mixture of tan and blue, so was the fur on its body. Its tail was what caught my attention; it was thick, long, tipped with a sharp looking scythe. 

"ARGHHHHHHHH!" I screamed in terror, "Arrghhhhhhhhhhhhh!" 

The parade of animals stared at me. 

"What is that…that thing?" I cried out in horror, it's blade was stained with something red, blood? "You're not from around here." 

You are correct; I am not from around 'here'. 

I whimpered, backed away slowly until my back touched the wall. I couldn't take my eyes off the thing, whatever it was; it defiantly didn't look like anything I've seen. I heard his 'voice' in my head. 

The tiger was pacing around, the big monkey was scanning the room and the bear was standing beside the door, I heard people hammering at the door outside. 

Suddenly, the monkey bounded towards me and swung a pile driver arm in my general direction, I yelped and jerked out of the way. Fortunately he wasn't aiming for me his huge fist slammed the wall. 

Crraaaaaaaaaaaaaackkkk! 

The wall cracked in several places. The monkey slammed the wall again, this time putting his whole body into it. 

Crunch! 

Thud! 

And created another door through the wall. I stared at the opening, freedom outside, and death if I stayed. Not just from the animals that were around me but from the police too. 

I bolted. 

Welcoming daylight engulfed me, after about two to three seconds I thought I was flying, you know when you run very fast or sprint for a few seconds, after you reach the height of your velocity you feel like you're flying through the air? I felt that. 

THUD! 

"Offff!" I gasped. I ran into something solid. 

I shook my head, my vision was blurred at first, but then slowly, my eyes snapped back into focus. 

What I saw froze my heart. 

I was looking at four, delicate, black hooves. My gaze traveled upwards very slowly, I saw four fury blue legs, a centaur's body and a face that had four eyes. 

Just like the creature I saw inside. But there was one major difference. Putting aside that this one was larger and heavily muscled, its eyes were cold. Evil radiated from his gaze, everything about him was intimidating, the way he posed, the way he walked and the way he looked at you. 

In this case, he glared at me; I felt my blood freeze in my veins. 

Get out of the way. 

I was trembling so bad that I couldn't gather myself to stand up. I stayed exactly where I was. Low on the ground, realizing at last that what I was looking at was no mutant, but an alien. 

Is this human mentally impaired? He said sneered, I said GET OUT OF THE WAY! 

I jerked out of my trance and scooted-still on the ground-a few feet away. The thing turned his gaze on the animals inside. See what a bunch of idiotic backward apes humans are? You are risking your lives for the life of this puny race? A pity, you would do so much better in our hands. 

This universe would be a better place when it is rid of the abomination. The other blue furred alien sneered. 

It's only then did I realize two things. 1) The animals were talking to the blue alien. 2) There were more aliens coming up, but those were very different. 

They stood seven feet tall. Green bladed reptiles with clawed hands and talons for feet, their slit eyes were attracted to the animals. 

Yes very charming isn't it Andalite? He commented, And now it seems that you and your team of misfits are trapped. 

I stared at the animals and the smaller blue furred alien that were called 'Andalites'. These were the good guys, right? 

Evil Eyes turned to the bladed reptiles, Dracon beams on lowest setting, shoot carefully. I want them alive. 

TSEWWWWW! 

DOWN! The Animals and the blue furred alien in the room all ducked, bending low to the ground. 

TSERRR! 

The bird! A shot of brown red and white feathers zoomed to Evil Eyes, talons outstretched the bird attempted to gore his eyes out. 

He missed his target and three bloody tracks appeared on his face, blue blood oozed form the gash. Enraged, the alien screamed at his troops, Shooot! 

The bird rounded up for another assault, he flapped gaining altitude and plummeted towards the alien. This time he didn't get a chance to strike at his enemy, one of the bladed reptiles jumped forward and snatched him out of the air. The bird let loose a distressed hiss. 

NO! I heard a 'voice' scream. The bladed reptile held one of its sharp blades up to the bird. 

Surrender or he dies! Evil Eyes yelled. 

I still had the gun with me, the thing was a few feet in front of me and none of its eyes were pointed my way. 

I sized my chance. 

I jumped up as silently as I could, ran to the alien and kicked him. He stumbled, yelling in surprise. 

I slammed him to the ground steeped back and pointed the gun at his face. "One move and I'll blow your brain apart!" I threatened. Not, I shall say, a very original threat. 

Hey! Good work! You got the Visser. I heard a voice say in my head. I think it was the monkey speaking…what? What did I just say? 

The tiger looked at what the monkey called the Visser, I think we could negotiate a deal…if that's all right with you… The tiger laughed. 

A STAND OFF! The Visser screamed, I will not except it! 

I think you are out of options. The smaller blue alien said coolly, stating the obvious. 

Now, here's what we do, you order your army of minions to back away, you release my friend and this human here will not fire. 

Evil Eyes screamed in furry and rage. I noticed that there were more security guards coming around the premises. They are so not going to believe what they would see. 

It wouldn't be long until the humans that work in this place come out, I assure you Visser, not all of these cops are your people. 

The alien raged angrily, he glared at me with murderous eyes. I _will_ make you pay human! When this is all over, you and your entire race _will_ pay! 

Then he swung one of his stalk eyes at the bladed aliens, Release him! Back away! 

They obeyed their master, the bird flew away and the aliens disappeared. 

The animals started to make their way out of there too. The monkey stepped up to me and lightly tapped my shoulder. 

I turned around and looked up at him. 

I'll take that, thank you. He said gripping the muzzle of the gun. 

"Hey!" I objected. "Give me that! I found it!" 

Uh-uh, you don't have a permit for that. He wrenched the gun out of my grip and followed the animals, lumbering away. 

I followed them, "Hey! Wait up! HEY!" 

They didn't stop. They were heading towards the national forest. 

"Hey, wait up!" I said angrily, plunging into the forest, I caught up with them, "Do you mind?" 

They stopped and turned to look at me. 

"You animals can talk. I mean, I must be crazy or something talking to you guys," I said panting, "You are defiantly not normal, and what is that thing?" 

It's an Andalite. A silent voice in my head, almost a thought, it wasn't words. It was ideas. Images. 

"What's it doing here? It looks like an alien to me, I mean, how come the white house haven't heard of this…" I trailed off suddenly as a thought occurred to me, "No wait, don't tell me, the white house knows and they're planning something at what's that place called? Zone nineteen? Ninety-one? Right?" 

Silence from the animals and the aliens, No, no one knows. 

"Wait! What are you talking about, what were those other aliens, they sure didn't seem friendly to me. And what did that other Andalite mean, 'I _will_ make you pay'?" 

That was not an Andalite, Mr. Tiger said, and I was starting to think that I was crazy. At least, in body yes, but not in mind. That Andalite is a host to a Yeerk, Yeerks are parasites that enslave the brains of sentient beings, their hosts soon become slaves of their own minds. 

The monkey spoke up, When you are host to a Yeerk, you become what is known as a controller. The Yeerk would be in charge of your every thought, your every move, you would have no control over your own body, you will have no freedom, no privacy, the Yeerk could hear your thoughts and read your memories as if they were books waiting on a shelf, you will sit in a corner of your brain threatening the Yeerk in your head all you like, you could do nothing because you are no longer in control. 

The Yeerks would make you go through your daily routines of life, it would talk to your family, playing your part, acting it out, whether you are a son, a brother, a parent, or a friend, you would be trapped helpless, screaming, trying to warn your relatives and friends of the danger, you can't. After all, you would be nothing more than a slave, the worst kind of slave because you are a vessel to intruders who are planning to slowly conquer, Earth. Enslave the entire human race. 

I was stunned; I stood motionless as the reality of their words sunk into my brain making them understandable. 

"No one…no one _knows_?" I whispered shakily. 

No. 

"How many are there?" I asked, afraid of the answer "How many controllers?" 

A lot. The bladed reptiles you saw are called Hork-Bajir, they are a race already enslaved by the Yeerks, there are Taxxons, Geds and many more races. There is only one Andalite controller and you met him today, and now they have thousands of human controllers. 

"So, the Andalites are the good guys?" 

The Andalite said Yes, we are at war against the Yeerks, we try and stop them, we Andalites posses the power to morph, the ability for us to change our physical state, this is one of our weapons against the Yeerks, we are also much more advanced than the Yeerks, we posses much stronger war ship and better trained warriors, but we are…outgunned. 

"So all of you are…?" 

Andalies, yes, we are but in a different form, we have acquired Earth animals to fight the Yeerks, we too cannot risk to be seen by humans. 

"How many of you in total fight this army?" I asked, "I mean, were do you hide? I find it difficult to imagine a thousand of you guys hiding in a forest." 

There aren't a thousand of us. 

"The how many?" I wondered. 

Just us. Just the number that you see. 

I stared at them feeling light headed, "Six of you against an _army_ of them?" 

** I** walked as quickly as I could across the street, keeping my head down and eyes on the ground. I stashed the blue prison uniform and put on something I grabbed form a store. 

Every few seconds I'd scan the streets, see who was watching me, wonder if I would be the next one to be dragged down in to one of 'em pools. 

I shuddered at the thought. 

Across the street I saw an old man watch me, the minute I looked at him he averted his eyes. 

Weird guy. Was he one of them? Did he know? 

I looked at the busy street, mothers with pushchairs, fathers holding screaming babies, young couples walking together and a group of badly dressed teens walking down the street. 

Children these day dress very strangely, and not only that but they think that they have the problems of the world. Hah, what do they know about problems? 

I looked at the group of kids and saw that they were not only badly dressed but depressed. I walked up to them had something to say to them, changed my mind and walked past them, I noticed how oddly they stared at me. I shrugged the issue away, what were four kids going to do to me? 

I wanted to go and talk to Ruth, my seventeen-year-old daughter. 

The very thought of her made my heart heavy. I sighed as I neared to our house. 

I cast a look down the street then hurried inside. Afraid to be interrupted, we live in a bad neighborhood in the bad side of town. 

"Sweetie, I'm home!" I yelled. 

Silence. 

"Ruth?" 

No answer. She should be home now it was very late at night; I walked to the kitchen and checked the clock. The digital clock read 21:08. 

Where was she? Maybe she was asleep. I ran up the stairs and knocked on her bedroom door. "Ruth?" 

As I knocked on the door creaked open. I peaked in. 

My heart stopped beating. 

I rushed in the room. And stopped beside her bed. 

Her room was a complete mess, very unlike Ruth to trash her room; she's always keen on organized things. 

Her closet was open, no clothes were in there, I turned to her nightstand and looking at the ground I saw two photo-frames lying face down. 

I bent down and lifted them, I turned one around, it had a recent picture of me with Ruth, we were both laughing, I remembered when I took that one, it was when I took her to the Gardens, a few months back. The glass frame was broken and most of the glass was on the ground. It appeared that the frame had been punched then stamped on. 

I removed the photo gently and placed it in my jacket. The other frame was empty. But I knew what used to be there. 

It was an old photo, of me, my wife, Ruth when she was six and my little boy when he was only two years old. 

I blinked away fresh tears, realizing that Ruth had run away. It had begun to rain outside, I grabbed my rain coat and put it on. I was going to find Ruth. 

I grabbed my car keys and headed off to Mark's place, an old friend of mine, maybe she went over to his house. 

I parked my broken down car hastily in front of his driveway and half walked half ran the way across his garden, I practically hammered his already tattered door down. 

"Mark! Hey Mark! Open up!" 

I heard shuffling feet and the door swung open, Mark was yawning as he opened the door. He stared at me mid yawn and then snapped his mouth shut. 

"What the…?" He grabbed my arm and yanked me inside. 

"Mark-" 

"Ralph?" He said after pacing in front of his Tv, "You bailed?" 

I snorted, "What at the last minute? No, you know I haven't got that kind of money." 

"Then…" 

"I got the hell out of there, obviously, the illegal way." 

He groaned, "What are you doing here then? You're gonna tell on me, look Ralph. I knew I was in but come on! I was clean-" 

"Shut up, that isn't why I'm here." I snapped, "Did you see Ruth?" 

"Ruth? No man, I don't walk around keeping tabs on your kid, what' she do this time?" 

I sighed. "Ran off on me." 

"I wouldn't be surprised," He murmured. "Listen man, I tried to keep her head in, I know this great group of people, wonderful really, I told her to go to join, she-" 

"You better not have her on drugs!" I grabbed him by the collar. 

"No man." He said sounding annoyed, he shoved me off, "The group I was talking about were like, this social thing, you know family get together crap and so on. They do all sorts of great activities, you should join them." 

"What are they called?" I asked him. 

"The Sharing." 

> I asked him for the location and prepared to get there. 

"You know Ralph, I was serious when I asked you to join them, I was thinking maybe you should. I already joined." He paused; his eyes gleamed suddenly, in a very un-Markish kind of way. "It great, they make you feel that you're not alone, like you're part of something big, something bigger much more important than your normal life." 

I stopped walking, "How?" 

"There is an inner and an outer sharing. The outer sharing is cool, you become a member and just hang around. But the inner sharing…" He smile that weird smile again, "The inner sharing is much more exciting…it's another step." 

"Another step?" I asked him, totally mesmerized. "What do you mean?" 

> He smiled mischievously, "Only who had done it can truly understand it." 

"Um, I have to go." I said still staring at his eyes, I slowly snapped out of my trance, "Have to go find Ruth." 

He nodded, "I'm not keeping you." 

"Sure." I turned away and headed to my car. Once again, I jammed the keys into the ignition and rattled the car to life. 

I headed for the sharing. Who knows maybe Ruth was there. 

And even if she wasn't, I will. 

** "Hello** and welcome to the sharing!" The guy at the door told me brightly. 

"Um, hi." I mumbled back, "Uh, you joined?" 

"Sure, it's the coolest thing ever." 

"How so?" I asked, looking around, "I mean, how long?" 

"A while back." He winked at me, "Wished I'd have come earlier though." 

I laughed. "You're keen on this right?" 

"You bet," He smiled, "Why don't I take you outside? The rest are all out on the beach. We're having a barbecue there as well, you know, after the guys play volley ball." 

"Sure." I said, I let him lead me outside, it had raining outside but it stopped now, so although the weather was slightly cold it wasn't that much cold that I'd have changed my mind. 

I usually hate cold rainy weather. 

"I'm Tom." He said, "And you are?" 

I smiled again, "Ruth." 

"So Ruth, any particular reason why you decided to come here?" He asked as we walked to the beach. 

I shrugged, "My father's friend asked me to." 

"Ah, I see, who's he? Maybe I know him." 

"His name is Mark Robert." I said, "He's a family friend." 

Tom nodded, "Yes I know him, he's part of the inner sharing." 

"There's an inner sharing?" I questioned. 

"You'll know about them later." He said. "You haven't told me yet, any reason why you came here?" 

I frowned, why did he care? "Why are you curious?" 

"I'm not curious," He grinned, "Just trying to make conversation with a particularly good looking girl." 

I laughed blushing, "You're trying to flatter me. Stop it." 

"What's so funny?" A voice from the darkness called out bluntly, two kids both younger than me approached us. 

"None of your business, Midget." He snapped, "I thought you said you didn't want to hang around the sharing, what changed your mind?" 

The other boy patted his stomach, "Nothing more than the treat Tom. Say who are you?" He asked me. 

"Marco, go find some other girl to annoy." Tom answered before I could open my mouth, "And if I were you, Jake I wouldn't want that kind of negative attitude towards the sharing." 

"Whatever." He said rolling his eyes, "I'm going home, I'll tell mom you're here." 

"Uh-huh, also tell her why you're running around barefooted and wearing spandex, Jake." 

> "I'll send your regards." He replied coolly. 

The two kids left us. 

"Was that your brother?" I asked looking at the taller kid, the one with dark hair and brown eyes. 

"The one and only." He rolled his eyes, "Jeez, I don't know what's up with him, he can't even do something as normal as join the sharing." 

"Give him time," I said, "Maybe he'll get convinced." 

> Tom said, "So you're joining?" 

"I don't know." I said, I bit my lips and switched my backpack to my opposite shoulder. 

"I don't recall seeing you around here, you don't look like you're from this neighborhood." 

"No I'm not." I fidgeted around, getting nervous, only slightly. 

"What are you doing here then?" He asked, we reached the beach; all around us were people from all ages, children, teens, parents, and grandparents. All were having a good normal time. 

"I'll only tell you if you wouldn't tell anyone." I said quietly. 

He caught the seriousness of my voice, he looked at my eyes, "I promise." 

"I'm running away, that's all I can tell you." I said. I blinked away burning tears, I didn't want to think about dad, not now at least, maybe later. 

"You didn't kill anyone, did you?" He laughed uneasily. 

"No." I smiled a bit sadly at him, "Family problems." 

"Ah," He said, like he understood, I appreciate his genuine concern. "I hope you get it sorted." 

"It's a long way away from sorted." I sighed, then straightened my shoulders, "Enough me blabbering about myself, tell me about you." 

"Me?" He looked surprised that I asked the question. 

"Yes, I don't see anybody else standing near us." 

He blushed, "I guess you could say that my life is average. Annoying little brother, as well as pesky teachers, and then the sharing." 

"The sharing is a part of your life huh?" 

"I guess you could say so," He smiled, "Part of yours too, if you join." 

He took my arm and guided me to the benches. "Sit down, I'll bring us something to eat." 

I sat down and watched him head off to the stands of drinks. I took a quick look around me. 

Lots of people around my age were playing volleyball, I watched as one of the boys spiked the ball incorrectly and managed to get himself tangled in the net, the others in the team fell to the ground laughing as they watched the boy's desperate efforts of freeing himself out of the net, two team mates stood up and replayed the whole event in mock exaggerating, I laughed out loud. 

"Soda?" 

I looked away and saw Tom standing in front of me, "Soda's fine." 

He handed me a plate full of food as well as the Soda and sat down. "So, you like Volleyball?" 

"I enjoy it," I said, I looked down at my food and carefully bit down a hamburger, "Hmmmm, warm." 

"Nah, the weather's just cold." 

"Ruth," Tom asked after a moment of silence. 

"Uhuh?" I was looking at the stars. 

"If you're running away," He paused, "Do you have a place to stay in?" 

"They're beautiful, right?" 

"Huh?" 

"The stars, they're beautiful." I repeated still gazing at the stars. 

He looked up at the sky quickly and then back at me, "I guess so." 

"They look so small…but in reality they're so huge." I thought out loud, "You know, I keep wondering what's out there." 

"What do you mean?" He asked carefully. 

"I keep wondering if we're alone, and if we're not, then…" I said, as my eyes tracked down star constellations, "What are they like?" 

"Probably uninterested." 

"You think they'd be much more advanced than us?" I wondered looking at Tom. 

He shrugged, "I'd think so." He smiled mysteriously. "I know so." 

"Ha, ha." I said light heartedly. "You think they're shy or something?" 

"I doubt it." He grinned at me, "Probably freaked out from blonde girls thinking out loud." 

"So these aliens," I said coyly, "They must be pretty queer to hang out with weird pretty blonde girls with thinking problems." 

"Not so much weird as lonely." 

"You think I'm lonely?" 

"Yes," He whispered, looking closely at me, "I do." 

I suddenly realized how close we were, I jerked self consciously away. Jared out of my chain of thoughts, why had I let him get to me so quickly? 

Was what he was saying he really true? Am I lonely? 

Was venerable and weak? 

Did I have any place to go? Now that my father was dead and my mother and brother gone forever? 

I looked at the stranger who was no more than a few inches away from me. 

** "A** new invention. A new path of technology for those inferior subjects, I assure you Visser they will be obsessed with it, it's a master piece, a work of art, no Yeerk would have ever-" 

I do know that. A sinister voice snapped, Why do you think I rose to the rank of Visser One? 

The human controller –I assumed- babbled. 

Shut up, He said, You are one pathetic excuse for a Yeerk. 

More babbling that stopped abruptly. The Visser turned his penetrating gaze away from the human controller who looked like he might collapse with relief. 

I rolled my eyes silently and as quietly as I could, slinked forward to get a better view. 

I couldn't see anything. I sighed silently and stopped messing around. I held still to hear what was being said. 

Is it ready? 

"Yes Visser, as you have suggested," A new voice said, "We had produced a computer game for the humans, as you know, humans are a highly emotional species, they experience a flow of over exaggerated emotions that will do them no good but help their down fall to the Yeerk Empire. So we have combined a fraction of Yeerk technology to inferior human technology to produce a virtual, real time entertainment for the humans, it consists of a head set and a human computer." 

Another voice said, "This 'game' is no real game of course, it is simply a new…path…for humans, a path of thinking that will do them no good, you see, once humans play this game they will experience the sensations of being in another form, of course, none of these forms are linked to intergalactic aliens, but earth animals." 

"The best part of this entertainment is that the human could choose to play out a virtual human's life, a life he or she doesn't have, humans often fantasies, actually, they fantasies a lot. This type of interaction will satisfy their infinite wants for a period of time, Visser, they will -once used it- demand it to be perfected again and again and again, and those business that are producing this product will compete against other businesses, this game, Virtual Aspects, would be on the shelf of every computer store from here to the other part of this planet." 

"Visser, this invention will weaken already weak humans that plead for desires that are put of their reach, once they experience this type of interaction and begin to see and live through things they never had, and once they have lived through their out of the ordinary 'fake' life and practice things that they have wished for…they would be weakened, they will be easier to take over, their will to resist us will be…insubstantial." 

The Visser laughed out loud, Just when I thought you were impractical and worthless Direm 1092 of the Sulp Niaria pool…you actually surprise me. 

"Yes Visser, I have become valuable." 

So you have. The Visser laughed again, there was something cold about his laughter, something that twisted my guts. 

Get the Taxxons in; I want them to finish their work immediately. The Visser said, I heard a few 'things' come in, I bent down to see through the gap below the metal sheet that hid me from sight, When will this project be ready? 

I pressed my head to the ground managing to squeeze the air out of my lungs. I saw two pairs of blue deer legs, seven pairs of human pants all differently colored. I twisted my head and ignored the stifling pain of my cramped neck and aching back I continued searching for the new arrivals, "A few days from now, not long." 

I want it to finish earlier. His voice did not leave any room for argument, By tomorrow noon. 

"But Visser-" 

Are you questioning my orders? His voice was dangerously low, I spotted the new arrivals, but all I could see was a few hundred thin cone shaped legs-if you want to call them legs- that ended in tiny claws…what were they? Spiders? Some insect? 

"NO! No! Visser I-" 

I had started to straighten up my sitting position. There was no where to run to, there was a wall behind me and the only way out was to crouch forward and run through the tunnel to my left, the tunnel looked like it was part of an air vent…maybe it brought air in? 

FWWAPP! 

I froze. 

I heard a sickening light thud, and then someone moaning and inhuman panting. 

Here, take your hand, have it reattached. That was one sick alien. 

I started to get out of the place, the piece of metal I was behind wasn't even shoulder length to me, an it was held up by to posts so that there was a gap beneath. A gap that exposed my shoes, I moved carefully, tried not to make any sound. 

I turned to the tunnel. I felt something bite my finger. 

Ow! I gasped silently, tried not to make myself heard. 

I will come back tomorrow; this project _will_ be finished by then. 

I looked at my hand; it was cut deeply by some exposed part of a forgotten broken cooper pipe. I bit on my lip as the blood began to drip on the ground. 

Ouch. 

F ailing to that, you six will be on the Taxxons feeding menu. 

"YesVisser." They murmured. 

Click, click, click, click, click, pause, click. 

I held as still as I could something was heading towards me. Something that owned rows of legs. 

_ Click! Click! Click! Click!_

This didn't sound good, whatever it was it was starting to run in my general direction. 

I felt a breeze of air blow at my legs, the thing stopped running and its body lightly hit the wall I was behind. 

My heart froze as I saw hundreds of rows of legs through the gap. I slowly straightened up. 

I heard wheezing above me. 

THUD-_thud! _THUD-_thud! _THUD-_thud! _THUD-_thud! _

My heart started to beat loudly, I really thought that whatever was standing near me must have heard me. My heart was lodged beneath my throat,my mouth was dry and my blood flooded with adrenaline. 

Very slowly, I craned my stiff neck back, and doing so, I had my first glance at a Taxxon. 

It's mouth mostly. 

My face twisted in horror, my mouth opened in a silent scream. My heart failed on me and stopped beating. 

Hundreds of rows of sharp shark like teeth filled a mouth that could have swallowed a zebra hole. Evil red jelly like eyes glinted above me, I saw a long, thin three-foot long tongue dangle out. 

I felt pressure build up in my chest and realized that I have been holding my breath. 

_ Breath man, what's wrong? Afraid of what looked like a twelve-foot long alien worm? _

Yes. 

I was. 

As if in slow motion, the Taxxon pulled it head back, reared up and slammed down trying to get at me. 

Srrrrrrrreeeeeeeahhhh! 

An alien scream of furry. 

I bit down on my tongue and bolted forward, my body low to the ground. 

What's going on over there?! 

Serrrra! 

CRUCH! 

I cast a glance behind me; the bloated worm was inches behind me. I reached the tunnel. There was no way that thing could fit in it. 

"ARRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!" 

A thousand serrated teeth bit down on my arm. Bit down and grinded. 

Sound the alarm! 

I reached the tunnel; I grabbed a small piece of metal in my hand and spun around as well as I could -considering a huge worm was chewing at my arm- and gorged its eyes. 

"Serrrrrrrraaaaaaaa!" 

Then I stabbed the thing again and again in its belly. It let go of my hand as its guts spilled out like squeezed mushy gooey beans out of a too small tin can. 

I held my mangled arm to my body and escaped through the tunnel. 

After a few minutes I hit the cool night air. 

> I ran away as fast as I could, aware of human pursuers, where to go? 

BAM! BAM! 

I threw myself to the ground and rolled a couple of yards. They were armed. 

I wasn't. 

I ran to the forest, the Andalites! They could help. 

I hadn't lost my pursuers, I trampled wet soil and pushed past thorny bushes. I tripped and fell heavily to the ground. 

"Andalites!" I screamed. 

"He's over there! I heard something!" A voice far away. 

I gathered myself up, "Andalites! Help!" 

I continued to run deeper into the forest. They were getting closer and closer to me. 

"Help!" I croaked. 

"Grrrrrrr!" 

I looked up, yellow eyes and white teeth started back at me; a face surrounded by brown, bushy short fur only inches away form my eyes. 

"Argh!" I yelped, "Go away! Please go away!" 

The human controllers were only yards behind and I was trapped! 

The wolf bared its teeth and howled. 

The controllers froze. 

A scream of terror broke the silence of the night, followed by a sound I only want to hear while surrounded by thick strong metal bars. 

ROAAAAAAAAAAR! 

More cries of terror penetrated the night "Andalites!" 

_ Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! _

They started to shoot like crazy. 

A blue human/deer stepped forward, he ignored the battle and looked directly at me. 

Did you called for us human? 

I nodded stupidly. 

Then follow me, He turned and faced deeper woods, We will get you out of here. 

** "D**ad, mom, this is Ruth." 

Tom's parents looked at me kindly, Tom told them all about me, that I didn't have any place to go to, at least for now. I could tell that he had to talk quite a while with his parents, I was on the porch when he was inside, I heard snatches of the conversation. 

"Hi." I said, for some strange reason or another, I felt that the situation was awkward. 

"Ruth." Tom's father said, "You could stay with us for a few days okay? But then you have to-" 

"Dad." Tom cut in an annoyed voice, "Not now, later." 

Tom's father shrugged and then grinned at my blushing face, making me blush even further. 

"What Greg meant was that you're welcome." Tom's mom said, "Take all the time you need." 

"Thanks." I mumbled. 

Then they left us. I was grateful. 

"Mom said you could take the couch, " Tom said aloud, "Here's a pillow and a blanket." 

"Tom?" He turned around and looked at me questionably, "You're such a sweet heart." 

He flushed and muttered goodnight, I lied down on the sofa and huddled up in a small ball, the silence in Tom's house was alien to me, not the kind of silence that I was use to. 

I drifted off in troubled sleep, in my dreams I talked to my family, my father, my mother and my lost brother. 

_ _

_ "Where are you?" I yelled against a roaring wind, "Where can I find you?" _

_ "You can't find me, Ruth." I heard my mother's strong voice call out from the mist, "I'm not there anymore." _

_ "How can that be?" I cried, "I want you home, I want all of you home." _

_ "The time will come for you to join me, my little one." _

_ "I want it to be soon!" I searched for my mother's face, longed for the comfort of her arms. _

_ "Your father, he'll join me soon, I feel it Ruth." Her voice was sad, "Find your brother, he's your only family. Don't trust anyone else, don't trust anyone but family." _

_ "But I don't know were he is! Where can I find him?" _

_ "Look for him, he is not too far, he never has been, but this time Ruth, he is closer than ever before." _

_ "How?" I screamed, "How do I find him?" _

_ But the voices were fading, the voice of my mother and a voice of stranger that I have never met before. _

I woke up gasping for breath, my pillow was soaked in sweat, I jumped out of the coach and bolted outside. 

_ This is not my place,_ I thought as I closed the door behind me. I had to go away. 

I turned and ran directly into someone. 

WUMPH! 

We both fell. 

I found myself face to face with Tom's brother, Jake. 

He looked dazzled and confused, he picked himself up off the ground and then glared at me, "What are you doing in my house?" 

"Em, your mother said it was okay if I stayed with you guys for a few days." 

He stopped glaring at me, I looked at him, "What are you doing outside your house at two fifteen in the morning?" 

"I sleep walk." He snapped. 

"Sorry," I muttered. "You didn't have to bite my head off." 

"I'm a grumpy person at three in the morning." 

"Two." 

"Whatever." He said looking harassed, "Can I just go to my room, if that's okay with you." 

He shoved past me and disappeared into the house. 

I got back to the couch feeling more confused then ever, what was Tom's brother doing outside so late at night? What he was wearing didn't look like something I'd wear to bed. And I doubted that he sleepwalked. 

_ "Uh-huh, also tell her why you're running around barefooted and wearing spandex, Jake." _

Maybe he was just weird. Yeah, that was it, I shifted restlessly on the couch. 

What about Tom? He seemed like a decent guy, I didn't mind him. 

_ Find you're brother, he's your only family. Don't trust anyone else, don't trust anyone but family. _

Sure, Tom wasn't family, but he was one sweet guy, even though his brother is a bit queer. Was there a reason for me to not trust him? 

I was being silly. Sure, Tom will be impressed, the 'pretty blonde girl' was considering little voice in her dreams as guidance in the real world. 

Wake up girl. Or actually, the contradictory, go to sleep Ruth, and leave all this mess for tomorrow, then by tomorrow the mess will sort itself out. 

With the help of my new friend, Tom. 

I just didn't realize how ironic the situation was. 

** "So**, it's some kind of colony right?" 

Yes. 

"They look fearsome to me, I wouldn't want to-" 

Looks could be deceiving. He said, The Hork-Bajir are a peaceful people, the only reason that they're bladed is because their diet is bark, that's what they feed on. 

"These Yeerks, they're evil huh?" 

Yes. The bird preened his feathers, The Hork-Bajir are decent people. 

"Can't say the same about humans." I muttered, looking at one of them. 

So, are you going to tell us what happened? 

By 'us' he meant the Andalite, the bear and himself. Freaky bunch. 

"See, I was heading to the sharing, my friend told me they're a great lot." I said, "Only I came there and stumbled across a meeting, that's when I knew that the sharing was a front organization for those Yeerks, well anyway. You said you knew that, right?" 

The sharing being a Yeerk organization is not something new to us. 

"Well, I got news, news that will rock your world. Bad news." 

You are just not good news are you? The bird muttered. 

"Look, the Yeerks, they're selling a game." 

Why should we care? The bear said bluntly. 

"You should, it's a conspiracy to capture the attention of uh, millions of humans." 

Let me guess, The bear laughed, They make this game were they picture themselves as heroes or something? 

"No." I said annoyed, "The game is called Virtual Aspects, it's suppose to have a heavy influence on the emotional part of the human brain. Something like that. You get to be some other completely different person." 

What? 

"A movie star, a successful business man, a talented artist a killer, you name it." I said, "You get to be whoever you want whatever age you'd want to be, you even choose the way you look, so, you actual live a virtual world, a world the Yeerks know that some humans would not resist, especially those humans who- well, lets face it, not a lot of humans live a 'great' life." 

They stood silent. 

Oh man. 

"Yes," I said, "Especially since it's to be finished and on sale by tomorrow noon." 

The bird cursed. I have to go get someone. 

"Be my guest." 

We have to leave you for a while …uh…what's your name? 

"Ralph." 

Yeah, we have to go for a while Ralph, don't run off. 

"I'm going no where." I lied. 

They disappeared into the forest. I waited for fifteen minutes then started to head off. 

"Where are you going?" A voice asked . 

I turned around, it was a Hor-Bajir, "I have to go." 

"The Andalites told you to stay, it would be dangerous for you to go, even if you did you would be lost." 

"I have to go, it's urgent," I told it, "Can you come with me?" 

"Toby?" A bigger alien lumbered towards us, "What is wrong?" 

"Father, this human wants to leave. This was against the wishes of the Animorphs." 

"You must stay." The father said looking at me. "Daughter tells you too." 

"But I have to go, do you understand?" I talked slowly, the way you talked to someone who's talking Japanese and is trying to understand you. 

"I do not think you understand." The younger one said, "You will not go." 

I looked desperately at them, I looked at the father I used body gestures as well as emphasis in my voice to make him understand me.. "I am a father too, I have a daughter, like yours but different, if I do not find her I will lose her to the yeerks." 

On the word lose my voice cracked slightly, I felt hurt and desperate, Ruth had been heading to the sharing and I half forgot about her. What if she became one of them? 

What will I do? 

"Will you help me find Ruth? My daughter?" I asked, I looked at his eyes hopefully, maybe this huge monster could find his way to civilization. 

The father looked at my eyes, "Humans help Jara find Kelt. Human help Hork-Bajir, now, Hork-Bajir help Human. Jara help find daughter of human." 

The daughter put her hand on her father arm. But she was silent. 

"Come with Jara, he will help you." Since no other Hork-Bajir stepped forward I think he was talking as the third person. 

"Thank you." I whispered, "Thank you so much." 

The Hork-Bajir nodded, he took my arm and guided me into the forest. 

As we walked through the wilderness Jara talked to me, it was like talking to a four year old, obviously, these Hork-Bajir were not intelligent, that didn't bother me the least. 

"Your daughter, how old?" 

"She just turned seventeen." I said with a smile, I looked at the full moon, "She's a big girl know." 

"Yes, but no matter how big, childrenalways need parent." 

"I guess so." I said, thinking about the times I had left her. They were a lot of times that I wasn't there for her, I was ashamed of myself. 

We walked for hours, at dawn Jara stopped. 

"Jara cannot go any farther." He said, "Jara try keep away from human eyes." 

"Jara?" 

"Yes?" 

"One day, Hork-Bajir would not need to keep away from human eyes." 

Jara smiled, "Jara think that one day, Jara would see a happy human father with a happy family." 

I smiled sadly; I was touched, "Thank you, for everything." 

The harmless giant lumbered away. 

I looked at where I was. I saw a huge red barn, and a house farther off. I slinked off to the barn; maybe I could find something to eat. Failing that, I'll go raid the house's fridge. 

I slinked to the barn, keeping my body low to the ground. I entered the barn. No one there. 

I crept to the fridge. Opened it. I found a few Popsicles. As I ate them I looked for something else to eat. 

My hand touched something that sent a tingle through my body, I frowned. I grabbed whatever it was and pulled it out. 

It was a…blue box. 

The box had rounded edges and had some script written over it. I had no idea what it was, but it looked like something valuable. 

"Jake, we trashed the place, we lost the yeerks half their project…leave the rest to the Chee. They can terminate the rest." 

I held still, the voices were near, too near. And they were coming closer. 

The barn door started to slide open. I still stood with a Popsicle in one hand and a blue box in the other with the fridge door all the way open. I didn't move. Didn't bother to. 

"All I'm saying is that we did all we can-" 

Five kids came in. 

Four of which I recognized as the bunch of badly dressed, depressed kids. The last one I had not seen at all. 

A bird landed on the rafter. It looked strangely familiar. 

The short boy with dark hair said a word young kids shouldn't use. 

"Hey! Watch your language!" I said. 

"What do you mean 'Hey!'" The boy snapped, "We had about enough of you already!" 

"Excuse me?" I snapped. 

"What are you doing in my barn?" 

"Why do you have the blue box in your hand?" The last question was more of a statement than a question; it came from the kid I didn't know, the fifth one. 

The taller boy groaned and slumped forward, "I thought you had enough excitement already." 

"Am I missing something here?" I asked, the Popsicle had started to melt. 

"You now my father makes these for himself, not some escapee from jail." The dark girl said, she didn't seem like she was complaining, she was staring at the hand that held the blue box. 

"Ax, demorph." The tall boy said, "You're almost out of time." 

"Three minutes to be exact my Prince." He commented calmly. 

The fifth boy doubled forward, I saw two lumps extract form his head and form eye stalks. Blue fur rippled across his body and his skintight clothes. 

"Ahhhh!" I yelped, "Ahhhhh!" 

"Shut up!" The girl with long blond hair yelled, "Do you want Cassie's parents to come here? If they do, you're going back to jail." 

I shook my head, my eyes looked at the faces of the kids franticly, what kind of nightmare was this? 

Soon, I was looking at four kids and…the Andalite. 

"You're…you're…" I gasped, "The Andalites! You're hiding as humans?" 

"Not exactly." The tall boy with dark hair said tersely. 

"Then…?" 

"Look, why don't you just tell us what you want?" 

The dark haired girl moved towards me, she took the blue box and put it back in the fridge. She didn't say anything. 

"Uh…food?" 

"Ha, ha." The Hispanic said without any trace of humor in his voice, "Why did you leave the colony?" 

I glared back at the Andalites, "None of your business." 

"Is that how humans treat the people who saved your life?" This one came from the black haired girl. 

"No, look." I said, "It to do with family problems…I'd explain, but you wouldn't understand, or care." I walked to the door, "Now if you'll excuse me I have to get going." 

The blond girl opened her mouth to counter me but the tallboy shook his head, "Let him go." 

Her eyes flashed angrily. 

"Rachel, he doesn't know." The Hispanic guy said, he leaned against the barn wall." 

"Know what?" I asked suspiciously. 

"Nothing. You can go." 

I turned to leave. 

"Hey Ralph." I turned around. 

"You never saw us and you never came here." 

I nodded slowly, "Good luck." 

I turned away and headed into the night. 

** I **woke up early, before Tom's family woke up. I got up and started to prepare breakfast. 

I had to introduce myself to the kitchen first, that wasted some time, but when I found everything I needed I got started. 

"Hmmm, what's cooking?" A voice from the hallway. 

It was Greg, Tom's father, "Eggs." 

He smiled, "You like helping out?" 

"That's all I could do for you, all of you have been kind to me." 

"Nah," He said laughing, "Consider it as a favor." 

"Hello Dad." Tom came yawning into the kitchen. He looked at me and winked, "Doing the honors?" 

I nodded. 

"So, Tom what's your plan for today?" 

He leaned back on his chair as I handed him a plate of fried eggs. "Ruth and I are going to the sharing, she's going to sign up." 

That caught me by surprise, I didn't say anything about signing up, never the less I didn't say anything. I realized that Tom had been watching me from the corner of his eye, waiting for a reaction, when he saw me looking at him he quickly looked down at his plate. I was bewildered. 

Jake and his mother was the next one in, Jake looked like he hadn't slept at all, he sat down on a chair and stared at nothing in particular. His eyes traveled towards his brother's face he sat there staring at him, after a few seconds his face twisted in anger, then he relaxed. 

I looked around me, no one had noticed. I decided to ask Jake if he were okay or not, maybe he had a hard time trying to talk with his parents or something. 

"So Jake, managed to get to sleep?" 

Jake glared at me as his father looked up from his morning paper. 

"What happened?" 

"He said he was sleep walking." 

"Sleep walking? Jake?" Tom laughed. 

"Jake if you-" Greg started to say when Jake interrupted him. 

"I wasn't sleep walking," He said calmly, "Homer was whining outside, thought I'd see if he was alright or not. I was just joking when I said I was sleep walking." 

"Homer?" 

"His dog." Tom rolled his eyes. 

"Oh." I said, "Why didn't you say so?" 

"Jake you look tired." His mother said concerned, "Are you sure you haven't caught something?" 

"I'm fine." He insisted. 

"What was wrong with Homer?" Tom's father wondered. 

"Nothing, he just wanted attention." Jake replied, he pushed his bowl of cereal away, "Got to go." 

"Where are you going?" His mother asked. 

"Huh?" Jake said, "Oh, hanging with Marco." 

"You're always hanging with Marco." Tom said, "Can't you do something else." 

Jake ignored him and headed out through the back door. 

"What's wrong with him?" Tom's father asked. 

"Beats me." Tom shrugged, "Come on Ruth, let's get going." 

Tom and I left his parents and headed on the driveway. 

"I still haven't made my mind up." I said, "About the sharing." 

"Come on its great." He said, "I don't know why you're so reluctant." 

I shrugged my shoulders, "Its not about reluctance, its about being committed to doing something..." 

"You'll like it, besides, you need some fun in your life." 

Tom was quite after a while then he said, "I talked to some of my friends yesterday, they said if you joined you get to go to the inner sharing immediately." 

My mouth dropped open. "What?" 

"You heard me." He said. 

"Why?" I asked, "I mean, when I asked around they said it took them weeks even months to join the inner sharing." 

"It's because they think you could influence other people in joining, they really need more members, they said you're the kind that…people trust." 

I was flattered, and not the least bit reluctant. 

I should have known better. 

But how could I have possible known what was waiting for me? 

** She** was at the sharing. There was a boy with her, I pulled my cap lower down to obscure my features. 

I had to talk to her when she was alone! 

The boy guided her towards a door. On the door the words INNER-MEMBERS was printed out in bold black block letters. 

No. 

She can't be one of them, it's impossible, not Ruth. 

"You'll like it, I promise you wouldn't regret your choice." The boy was saying. 

"I hope I don't. Tom." Ruth laughed. 

She still wasn't one of them, what do I do? I couldn't just run off and grab her, that would startle her, she thinks I'm dead. 

Tom stopped in front of the door realizing it was locked, "Oh." 

"What is it?" 

"I forgot, they're having a private meeting." He said looking around, "Come on, they wouldn't finish until later on today. Why don't we go to the park? That's where the others are hanging, they're organizing a clean up party, lets see if we could help them out." 

"Sure." 

I practically collapsed with relief, I didn't have to act know, I had more time. Not much but enough time. 

I walked out of the building and circled back. What meeting did they have? Why was it so important? 

I checked out the back entrance. 

Guarded. 

I walked cautiously to the side of the building; there was a window that could lead me inside. 

It wasn't guarded. 

I slid in. 

"I WILL NOT TOLAERATE THIS KIND OF MANAGEMENT." A voice boomed, "Why do you allow the bandits to destroy my findings?!" 

No answer, just murmuring. 

"I have killed the imbeciles in charge of that operation," He said in a silken voice, "I am telling you that if any of you fail to obey my orders sufficiently it would be the next meal for an internally hungry Taxxon, do I make myself understood?" 

More mumbling, I crept closer. 

"I said, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" 

"Yes Visser." 

I almost stumbled. Visser? 

What was he doing here? Why was he…he isn't exactly in an Andalite form is he? 

Did he change hosts? 

I soon got my answer, and the answer was definitely not. The Vissers body started to mutate, to change and transform in an illogical way in to…an Andalite. 

He could morph too? 

"Now, I came here for another reason." The Visser snapped, "And it's an issue dealing with the morphing cube. The blue box." 

Huh? 

"I want it," He said, "How many times have I said that? Many. We had two, no three chances at taking the blue box. You failed. All because of your incompetence and utter stupidity. I thereby announce that any Yeerk that manages to capture the box will be promoted ten ranks; any Yeerk who captures an Andalite, dead or alive will be promoted to a Sub-Visser rank. And hopefully"-he sounded bored-"You will manage to do better than usual." 

Murmurs of excitement followed by someone saying, "Visser, you want us to broadcast you're offer over to the Yeerk pool complex?" 

I heard a chair scrape the floor, followed by a violent slam. 

"That is not an offer you imbecile it is simply a threat. So to say, might I just add that any Yeerk who falsely leads me to believe that he had captured an Andalite or found the morphing cube will be sentenced for a death of Kandrona starvation." 

I started to creep away. My mind full. 

I had found the blue box. 

I had touched the morphing cube. 

That mean that I can morph, right? 

I got out of the building and wondered to a place I had been in today. The barn. 

I stood outside the barn and not until I made sure that no one was around, I entered. 

How can it be done? 

I wondered over to the cages.I stopped in front of a wolf cage. Why not? 

The wolf glared at me and bared his teeth, I took a step back. Maybe another time. 

What about the birds? I've always wondered what it was like to be a bird. 

I looked at a crow and decided that I didn't want to be one of them, even if it was for a short period of time. 

The gaze of a bird of prey found mine and I took a step forward, my face inches away from its sharp beak. 

In the dim afternoon light of the barn, his fierce eyes were a dark brown, his wickedly curved beak a dirty yellow. 

His feathers were mottled dusky above, and white streaked dusky and tinged with buff below. He had a rather short reddish tail that fanned out as he stood tall and proud on two sharp curved talons… claws of death… powered with strong muscles, combined with the wicked beak enough power to rip through the venerable flesh of a careless rodent… 

As he stood up he opened a pair of majestic wings, a beam of stray sunlight hit his wings from behind making them glow, making them look like, like…wings of gold… 

He stretched his neck and his head feathers broke out behind his head making a crest of rusty red feathers he looked at me with his brown eyes, an intense penetrating gaze, the gaze of a master of the air. 

Mesmerized, I reached out to touch his velvet feathers, the bird did not strike me but watched my hand carefully, as if it were an approaching snake. I touched his left wing, thinking about his power and aerial combat skills, thinking about the secrets held behind that unyielding gaze. 

The tip of my fingers touched the feathers of his wings. The bird's stance did not change, but the mighty glare of his eyes dimmed slightly, the bird's tensed muscles slackened, the raised crest fell back into its regular neat pattern. 

I withdrew my hand and the bird fluffed out his feathers and puffed out his chest, he took two menacing steps forward towards me making me step back. 

I was the one who broke eye contact; the intensity of his scowling eyes could not be out-scowled. As I stepped back I noticed a notice board placed near the cage. The bird was a Red-tailed Hawk, it had been found lying on the ground of the forest, it had eaten a poised carcass intended for a bothersome wolf. He was due to be released a few days from now. 

_ Not so mighty a predator are you?_ I thought, _a mighty raptor like you forced to eat decaying carcasses. Sometimes the world turns round not just for us humans, but for your world as well._

I stepped away from the cage and backed into one of the stales, the hawk's cage still in my line of sight. That's when I started my morph. 

It should have scared me, I knew I was scared but that didn't matter the least, not with the red-tailed eyes locked with mine again. 

I felt my legs grow scales; my skin was covered in patterns of feathers that popped out suddenly, my face pushed out and my lips hardened to bird beak My ears disappeared and my arms mutated to feathered wings. 

Then my eyes changed. I caught every single detail of the barn, I could see ants marching along the crow's cage, and I could see small insects zipping through the air. I flapped my wings and managed to glide a distance across the barn. I fluttered in front of the red-tail. 

I caught him looking at me, from behind the bar of his prison, so small, so confining. He shouldn't be there. 

I fluttered over to his cage, he didn't flare in alarm, he just stared back at me. _Out of my respect to you brother hawk_ I thought as I played with the lock, _I declare your freedom. _

The cage opened, the hawk stared at the opening of the cage. He bent low and then hoped out of the cage, springing into the air, spreading his wings open full length, his wings flapped at the air and he sailed out of the barn doors. 

I flapped my wings taking his lead, and official called my self the master of the sky. 

After flying round in circles I had decided that I shouldn't stay too long in 'morph', I remembered the Andalite talking about having three minutes left, so I thought that as wonderful this technology is, it is still with flaw. 

Of course I had no idea of the seriousness of this flaw. Or what it was, but I decided nerveless that I should stay around an hour in morph, I will not stay any longer. 

So after being introduced to an annoying yet not too serious flaw, I managed to get myself new cloths, of course I had no money, so I had to borrow some… 

I jogged to the address, I managed to find Tom's residence, I figured she'd be there. 

I reached the door when a brown haired kid came up to me and yanked me away. 

It was the kid from the barn. 

"What are you doing here?" He hissed savagely. 

"Listen-" I started to say when he silenced me and dragged me away from the house. 

I realized that we were heading to the forest. Again. 

"Listen…What's your name?" 

He ignored me and muttered something beneath his breath, it sounded something like, "I'm going to solve this once and for all." 

Then his eyes scanned the sky, I looked at the sky too, I saw three birds, all far apart and in different altitudes flying in different directions but heading very much the same way. 

Towards us, great, it was the other Andalites. 

"I said what's your name?" 

"Jake." He said sounding distracted. 

"There was no reason whatsoever for you to drag me all the way into the forest and-" 

"Yes there was." He interrupted, "I thought I told you to leave us alone." 

"I did!" I shouted, loosing my patience, I really had to get going and find Ruth. Time was running out. 

"You were heading to my house!" He yelled back, "Half the Yeerks are looking around for you for god knows what and the last thing I need is a character like you appearing at my house!" 

Jake, cool it. Said a voice above us, the birds landed. Look what I found back at Cassie's barn. 

The bird dropped something from its beak, it was a piece of paper. 

Jake snatched it from mid-air and looked at it. I recognized it. 

It was the photo of me and Ruth I had took from her room, from the smashed frame. 

"That's mine." I said quietly, "I'd like to have it back, it's the only one I have." 

"Whose that?" Jake asked pointing at Ruth. 

"That's Ruth, my daughter." I said, "She ran away from home, I was looking for her." 

Jake looked at one of the birds, "Tom." 

"Hey, you know that guy?" I asked. 

"He's my brother." He said mechanically, "He's also a controller." 

"If I don't find Ruth, she'll become one of them too." I said quietly. 

Jake, the guy morphed. 

Jake leaned against a tree and put his hands on his face, "Hmm?" 

He morphed. 

"What a mess." He muttered to himself, then he looked at me, "Alright, we go find here, only on one condition." 

"What?" 

"You stay put. You hear me?" 

"Understood." I said. 

Having no intention in keeping my word. 

** "In** here." Tom said, he sounded excited. Like he couldn't contain his energy. I stepped through the door; there were five more people inside. 

Somehow I didn't feel comfortable, there were butterflies in my stomach and I kept throwing nervous glances around, I grabbed the edge of my shirt and twisted it between my fingers, I bit my lower lip. 

"Are they going to be in the inner sharing too?" I asked Tom looking at the five people. He nodded. As I sat down he started to leave. 

"Tom?" 

"Huh?" 

"Could you stay?" 

"I have to go, I can't stay much longer." 

"Please?" I said giving him a sweet smile. 

He just turned around and left, I don't think he noticed me. I felt my face grow hot, why did he do that? 

It was like he didn't care anymore. I started to leave; I wasn't even truly interested, I thought angrily. 

"Where are you going?" A cold voice asked. 

A man three times larger than me put his hand on my shoulder, pressed down so that I fell on the chair. "Sit." 

I looked at him, startled, I didn't notice him enter, I also didn't notice that there were now twelve people inside. I had a bad feeling about the inner sharing; they had an air of hostility about them…well, indoors at least. 

I decided against attracting more attention, I'll ride through the meeting and then get the hell out of there, and never come back. Ever. 

The man with cold eyes was trailed by two bigger men, they looked like bodyguards, the three of them looked like they might be working at gang warfare. 

I tried to ignore the last statement and started to mess around with my hair. 

The man that had forced me in stood on a raised platform and started a speech, I wasn't paying attention. 

After the speech the man who called himself 'Mr. Trent' took us to another room, in this room there were two doors, both heavy metal doors. As the two guards slid a door open the other one opened. Five people, stepped out of the door and without any word joined us, I noticed that they kept at the rear of the group. 

I started getting nervous. 

"Come along now." Mr. Trent said smiling wickedly, "Don't be shy." 

Like sheep we followed the orders, I was not under any illusions, they were forcing us to go in, I had no idea what was waiting down the other end of the stair case. 

I soon found out. 

But not before the sounds of the activities reached my ears. 

I heard shrill screams and howls of frustration, I heard women weeping and children bawling. I heard long wails of sorrow and short, loud barks of anger and confusion 

I heard more than that, I heard inhuman bellows of rage, and unheard of roars of fury. 

Some of the people with me tried to turn and run up, but we were blocked, there was no escape, I heard someone whimpering, that whimpering came form me. 

We walked, herded, fully aware of the trap that had been strung around us, realized that we couldn't do anything, we continued walking down in silence, our features twisted with fear. 

The farther we walked the louder the screams, the clearer the pain. Soon we reached the bottom of the staircase, I stepped away form the dark tunnel of stairs. 

Mr. Trent was no longer there; instead there was a creature I had never seen before. I felt my legs wobble and my knees turn to jelly. 

My eyes diverted from the thing that was no human to the bizarre, hysterical spectacle that had unfolded slowly and combined with the sound to make reality the true cruel thing we were about to face. 

I almost fainted realizing what was happing. 

We were being invaded. 

Not by some rival nation, but from something totally terrifying and powerful. 

By aliens. 

** I** stood impatiently, waiting for some time to pass until I found it safe enough to leave. 

I morphed to the red-tailed form and took off in the late evening sky, I watched the sun crawl slowly down the horizon. 

_ Come on!_

I had fortunately located and identified the place were they were going, they seemed to know where Ruth was being taken. 

I followed from a safe distance; I didn't enter until I was sure of their disappearance. 

I landed and demorphed fast, I started to head in when someone stopped me. 

"Not so fast." It was one of the kids, I don't really think they are Andalites, I think they are just human children. 

"What?" 

"You really don't like listening to anyone do you?" he said annoyed, "Wait till Jake hears this." 

"I want to get my daughter and get the hell out of there." I snapped. "I don't trust a couple of kids to do this the right way round." 

He looked like he was going to punch me, not that that scared me. 

"Okay, wait." A bird landed beside us, the boy looked at it, "Can you keep an eye on him?" 

The boy left us and headed down the entrance, after an agonizing wait of ten minutes the bird said that his friends were stuck, they needed help bad. 

I morphed to red-tail and followed the other bird, just realizing that we morphed the same species. 

I told him my discovery. 

I know. He replied. In body we are, but not in soul. 

I know you're all humans, all except one that is. 

That still makes me no nearer to your species than theirs. 

But you're human right? 

Use to. 

What do you mean 'use to'? 

I use to be human but now I'm not, I'm something else. 

Something else? 

I over did the limit, I became a paradox. Half human. Half bird. 

I'm sorry. 

Don't be. He replied. 

He guided me down the dark staircase, always going down, we erupted out into a hellish nightmare of terror and rage, a display of sickening violence and uncontrollable onslaught. It was a scene of savage brutality, a battle of which demons and animals fought. 

My daughter was down there. If I were a human I think I would have cried. But I was a bird, a magnificent creation from nature. 

TSERRRR! 

I announced my presence. The red-tailed hawk beside me dove suddenly and gorged the eyes of a Hork-Bajir. 

I too did my own damage to a careless Hork-Bakir. 

Soon I was tiring, the Hawk was never built for this kind of work, a goose probably, a duck, you could say, but a hawk? No. 

Arrrrrghhhhh! 

The hawk plummeted and hit the ground. 

Demorph! Someone screamed. 

More screaming, more agony, and I still didn't find Ruth. 

Ralph. A voice cried out amidst the roars, Down here! 

I landed at a corner, shielded by barrels. I saw them all there. All except Ruth. I demorphed. 

"What happened?" 

No one answered me, the girl with blond hair was sobbing, she held a hawk in her arms, she was begging the hawk to demorph. 

The others were staring at her, transfixed. No one said anything. No one moved. 

All except the hawk which had started to grow… 

The blond girl gave a cry of happiness, kissed him the said, "You're alive." 

"Of course I am," Said the hawk, he had morphed to a human, and he was facing her, so I couldn't see his face. 

"We almost lost you." Jake said quietly. 

The boy stood up and turned around, "Well fun's all over…" 

The boy hadn't stopped talking, no, I had stopped listening, because his face…his face… 

It was like being jolted with a thousand volts of electricity, it was like winning the lottery; it was like having everything you ever wanted in your life. 

It was the impossible. 

"TOBIAS?" I exclaimed, "Is that you?" 

The boy was taken back, startled, he did not recognize me, and of course he didn't, he had been too young to remember, he hadn't seen me a lot. 

"Tobias?" I asked, "Don't you remember me?" 

"Uhh…" He said looking confused, "You know me?" 

"Tobias," I whispered, "I'm you're father." 

He froze, staring at me, slowly; I saw something click in his eyes, like a piece of a puzzle that he had been trying to solve. 

"My father?" He said slowly, processing the information. 

The Andalite started to speak, But we all know that- 

Tobias cut him off, didn't give him the chance to finish, "I, um, I always wondered what you were like." 

He started to morph to Hawk, his true form, suddenly; this piece of irrelevant information broke m heart. 

I watched as my son shrank away from me, becoming the creature that I had admired, and realized how lame the creature was…and how a treasure it was to be human. 

I felt sorrow, for him and angrer at myself. 

Guys, the Yeerks shouldn't see you as humans. They started to morph, I did too. 

I noticed Tobias staring at the Andalite, like he was talking to him. The Andalite looked at my son with acknowledgeable eyes, he nodded slowly, and then he swiveled his eyestalks to look at me. I think I saw pity in his eyes, I'm not sure. 

We, my son and I, flew to find Ruth, my daughter, his sister. 

That's my sister? The one in the photo, smiling? Tobias asked. 

Yes. 

Then my mother is she at home? He asked. 

No, I thought you knew the answer to that. 

I do? 

She took you away, I said sadly, I didn't know where you were, or where she went. 

I thought you knew… He paused, What was her name? 

You don't know? I asked, surprised. 

I do, He said. 

Then why are you asking? 

I…I need to know if Ruth is really my sister. 

His answer confused me, but never less I answered, Loren. 

He didn't say anything for a while, we flew over the mayhem, it seemed oddly silent, the sounds fused together and seemed far away and faint. 

We found Ruth, trapped in a corner, Hork-Bajir circling her. 

She screamed in terror. 

The Hork-Bajir raised an arm to strike her with his blade, a fatal blow. And then everything went slow motion. 

I saw the distance between the blade and my daughter's exposed neck; I saw her terrified gaze and the mad look in the Yeerk controlled face. 

I heard Tobias yell something; the others were too far away, too far away to get there in time. 

I looked at what I had; I looked at my life; my son and daughter. I balanced all, weighed it all. 

I plummeted. Dove down, falling from the air like a missile. 

Talons outstretched wings flared…I knew I must have looked like a demon. A demon dressed in golden feathers. The crowned king of the heaven, plummeting down from the sky like a falling star… The distance between the blade and daughter was closing… 

Split second timing and incredible speed placed me between the distance of that blade and my daughter's life. 

And as I faded away I heard a voice echo in my head, I held on to that echo, I held on to the images of Ruth and Tobias when they were kids, playing together, I held on to the image of my wife Loren…and the echo slowly faded away. 

_ "Jara think that one day, Jara would see a happy human father with a happy family." _


End file.
